New INcite Application: Presentence Investigation Report/Abstract of Judgment

Following on the heels of the INcite Risk Assessment application, JTAC is developing a new INcite application that will incorporate the Presentence Investigation Report (PSI) and the Abstract of Judgment. We are working under the direction of the Records Management Committee, along with a sub-committee of judges, a circuit court clerk, and representatives with [...]

Charitable Contributions: When Sentence Conditions Raise Ethical Concerns

Some combinations inherently go together, like chocolate and peanut butter. Others initially sound like a good idea (e.g. chili mixed with jalapeno peppers) but later have regrettable after effects. Requiring a defendant to make a charitable contribution as a sentencing condition is a combination that falls into the latter category.
Proponents of this sentencing [...]

Indiana’s New Risk Assessment Tools: What You Should Know

Milestone Marked in Evidence-Based Sentencing Practices
The implementation of new risk/needs assessment systems for Indiana’s juvenile and criminal justice systems marked an important milestone during 2010-2011. These tools are designed to provide Indiana’s courts with information about an offender’s potential risks and needs, allowing trial courts to provide appropriate sentences, supervision and treatment services. The [...]

Burdened but Unbowed

2011 State of the Judiciary
On Jan. 12, 2011, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard delivered his 24th State of the Judiciary address to a Joint Session of the Indiana General Assembly. An excerpted version follows. The State of the Judiciary was broadcast to a statewide audience over the Internet and on radio and television [...]

Slamming the Door on One Size Fits All

A new approach to sentencing, community supervision, and public safety in Indiana
In 2010, Indiana became the 19th state to receive technical assistance from the Pew Center on the States’ Public Safety Performance Project. The Pew Center provided the technical assistance in partnership with the Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG) to use a [...]

The Last Piece of the Puzzle: Supervision module completes the Odyssey picture

After several months of development and configuration, the Harrison County Juvenile Probation Department deployed the Odyssey Supervision product center as a pilot project in late April 2010. Staff from the Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC), the Indiana Judicial Center, and professional consultants from within the field of probation and community corrections all participated [...]

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative in Indiana

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) is a project of the Anne E. Casey Foundation, which began in 1992 its nationwide effort to reduce the population of juveniles in detention. It is now having a significant impact in Indiana.
JDAI promotes changes to policies, practices, and programs to reduce reliance on secure confinement, improve public safety, [...]

Supreme Court and Judicial Conference Approve New Public Safety Protocols for Intrastate Transfers of Probation

Probation departments throughout Indiana will institute a new protocol to improve public safety for handling intrastate transfers of probation as the new year begins.  It represents almost two years of work by the State Probation Committee, after extensive consultation with probation officers, the Probation Officers Advisory Board, and judges throughout the state. The Indiana Supreme [...]

2008 Probation Officers Founder’s Award Presented to Indiana Judicial Center’s Jane Seigel

You don’t have to be a probation officer or a member of the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) to be considered for the organization’s prestigious Founder’s Award, according to President Don Travis. “The selected person, however, shall be characterized by a commitment of influence to and promotion of professionalism to Indiana probation.”  The [...]